Suzy Green is not your typical good girl. Suzy and her friends get up to a lot of mischief, drinking, playing tricks and having full blown relationships with the guys. They are on the fringe of Goth and love it. But when Suzy's sister Rosie dies and the family move across the county, Suzy must clean up her act. She finds herself at a new and very posh school. Here she wants to make a good impression and become a member of the in crowd. The only way to make it in, is to join the Virginity Club. It's just that, well, Suzy doesn't really fit the virgin criteria but who cares, right?
The Second Virginity of Suzy Green was a light-hearted and funny teen read. It was written using a little too much teenage slang but was a very enjoyable novel. Suzy was a great narrator to the book. She was written to be a jovial and witty character but she was able to be deep and emotional. This book was set in Australia, so I was able to understand fully how and why things were being done. I really liked the unique idea of this book. It was not quite as good as the Gossip Girl type teenage drama novels, but much better than a lot of the girly high school books going around. I would definitely recommend it to friends of mine as an easy going read.
Mild Sexual References. Infrequent Swearing
Reviewer Age:14
Reviewer City, State and Country: Melbourne , Victoria Australia
Thursday, January 08, 2009
Wednesday, January 07, 2009
Why Don't Your Eyelashes Grow, by Beth Ann Ditkoff, M.D.
Have you ever wondered why pee is yellow? What are bedbugs? Why do we have nightmares? Or can chicken noodle soup really cure a cold? This book is written by Dr. Beth Ann Ditkoff and answers all of your gross, weird, embarrassing, and even funny questions about the human anatomy! This book has everything from questions children might ask to questions adults still may ponder. Why don't you eyelashes grow? This book will tell you!
I enjoyed reading through this cute and short reference book. It's very entertaining and has lots of fun factoids. It is also very informative! Everything is easy to find and is organized just right. It gives you just enough information so you're not looking for more and or you don't become bored on an individual subject. There were certain categories that sparked my attention which were "Urban Myth and What if?" and "The Weird, The Ugly, and the Downright Gross! I would suggest buying this book just to have on hand in case you have some baffling body questions!
Reviewer Age:15
Reviewer City, State and Country: Carlisle, Pennsylvania United States
I enjoyed reading through this cute and short reference book. It's very entertaining and has lots of fun factoids. It is also very informative! Everything is easy to find and is organized just right. It gives you just enough information so you're not looking for more and or you don't become bored on an individual subject. There were certain categories that sparked my attention which were "Urban Myth and What if?" and "The Weird, The Ugly, and the Downright Gross! I would suggest buying this book just to have on hand in case you have some baffling body questions!
Reviewer Age:15
Reviewer City, State and Country: Carlisle, Pennsylvania United States
Tuesday, January 06, 2009
Phoenix Wright by Capcom
There is one name that criminals and lawyers alike fear: Phoenix Wright. This lawyer always finds the truth and the evidence to back it up. Phoenix Wright defends his clients with ease, with the help of his cute assistant, Maya, and many others. In this book they investigate twenty different cases, with everything from ghosts to ramen noodles.
This was one of my least favorite mangas. It was based off of a video game I have never played; therefore, I didn't understand a lot of what was going on or what the characters did. Also, because it was drawn and written by twenty different people, the characters all looked slightly different in all the stories and I sometimes had difficulty identifying them. Some of the stories were cheesy and overdone, but some of them were enjoyable.
Reviewer Age:15
Reviewer City, State and Country: Shippensburg, Pennsylvania USA
This was one of my least favorite mangas. It was based off of a video game I have never played; therefore, I didn't understand a lot of what was going on or what the characters did. Also, because it was drawn and written by twenty different people, the characters all looked slightly different in all the stories and I sometimes had difficulty identifying them. Some of the stories were cheesy and overdone, but some of them were enjoyable.
Reviewer Age:15
Reviewer City, State and Country: Shippensburg, Pennsylvania USA
Portia's Ultra Mysterious Double Life by Anna Hays
This book is about Portia Avatar who is a twelve year old girl living in Palmville, California. When a sudden earthquake hits her town at 3:47 AM, she finds a mysterious picture of her missing father. From the picture, Portia decides her father is a detective. Portia decides that she will solve the case of her missing father, but can she keep it a secret from her vegetarian mother, Indigo? In the middle of her case, Portia discovers a ring which she believes is her mother's wedding ring. Will Portia be able to find out anything about her father from Indigo? Will she find her missing father?
This book is one of the best books I have ever read. Once I started reading, I just couldn't stop! The book was written really well; reading it was easy, and I could relate to Portia's determination to reach her goal once she set her mind to it. I would definitely recommend this book to girls my age. This book was a cliff-hanger that kept me guessing to the very last page.
Reviewer Age: 12
Reviewer City, State and Country: Enon, OH USA
The Pact by Monica McKayhan
The book The Pact by Monica McKayhan is about a teenage couple who are going their separate ways during their summer vacation. They decide to make a pact to have fun during the summer and to meet new people. If they found someone they liked more than each other then they would split up and if they didn't they would get back together upon returning. During his summer break Marcus Carter was faced with the decision on whether he wanted to stay with his mother in Texas or go home to Indigo back in Atlanta. Marcus also gets blamed for some things that he wasn't responsible for and he has to pay the price. Indigo Summer's grandma is hospitalized while Indigo is staying with her and she has to go stay with her cousin untill her grandma gets better. While staying with her cousin she is pressured to do some things she wouldn't normally do and her cousin's boyfriend tries to take advantage of her.
I enjoyed this book because it was very personal and I could relate to it in more than one way. This book is very detailed and it has a lot of issues that everyday teenager sometimes face. It explains the difficulties of young love and how if you truely love someone you will do anything for them. This book will prepare young teenagers for life and love.
Reviewer Age:14
Reviewer City, State and Country: Leopold, MO USA
I enjoyed this book because it was very personal and I could relate to it in more than one way. This book is very detailed and it has a lot of issues that everyday teenager sometimes face. It explains the difficulties of young love and how if you truely love someone you will do anything for them. This book will prepare young teenagers for life and love.
Reviewer Age:14
Reviewer City, State and Country: Leopold, MO USA
J. K. Rowling by Joan Vos MacDonald
This book tells you how people protest J.K. Rowling's books. It gives you information and pictures of what some people do to books when they don't like them. This book touches on a lot of people's opinions and beliefs of her work. It explains some of the Harry Potter books then tells why people do or don't like them. Then when people don't like the books, they destroy them. Overall, it is a lot of opinions and how far people will go to prove their points.
I did not enjoy this book as much as I thought I would. I was expecting some more information on J.K. Rowlings life. I wasn't expecting a lot of information about how people protest against her books. I like her books and I wasn't interested in hearing about how people destroy her books. I think that a book is a book, and if you don't like the book then don't read it.
Reviewer Age:13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Leopold, MO USA
I did not enjoy this book as much as I thought I would. I was expecting some more information on J.K. Rowlings life. I wasn't expecting a lot of information about how people protest against her books. I like her books and I wasn't interested in hearing about how people destroy her books. I think that a book is a book, and if you don't like the book then don't read it.
Reviewer Age:13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Leopold, MO USA
Monday, January 05, 2009
War Is
War Is... by Marc Aronson & Patty Campbell
For many people, war is an experience that is far away from their daily living, yet it plays an intrinsic role in the lives of all humans. The book War Is... seeks to bring the issues surrounding war to the reader. The book is divided into three parts. The first part is short piece that deal with people’s opinions on war, including newspaper articles, song lyrics, and interviews. The second part deals with different soldiers’ experiences, ranging from soldiers in World War I to the Iraq War. The third part examines soldiers’ experiences when they return from a war. The different pieces are all short, are written in many different forms (blog, short story, play, interview) and are by many different authors.
Anyone who wants to know more about war, or people’s experiences in war, should read this book. It is geared to young adults who, I think, would benefit the most from the book’s selections, but the book is accessible to anyone.
It is very difficult to find an unbiased view on the subject of war. However, this book did a wonderful job of balancing diverse opinions on matters, especially since the editors of the book held very different personal views on war.
Most of the pieces in the book were very well combined. Overall, they were very interesting, and spoke about many different issues. Mostly the book focused on the Iraq War, which made it very relevant to the current times. I did feel that the letters from the soldier in World War I was out of place. This selection was a collection of personal letters from the editor’s father, and I did not feel it was an appropriate choice. However, I felt all of the other selections were wonderful.
I would definitely recommend this book to any young
adults who wish to understand more about the world around
them.
There is some bad language in the book; however,
the book does NOT have graphic violence.
Rating 9
Content 3
Reviewer Age:15
Reviewer City, State and Country: Urbana, Illinois USA
For many people, war is an experience that is far away from their daily living, yet it plays an intrinsic role in the lives of all humans. The book War Is... seeks to bring the issues surrounding war to the reader. The book is divided into three parts. The first part is short piece that deal with people’s opinions on war, including newspaper articles, song lyrics, and interviews. The second part deals with different soldiers’ experiences, ranging from soldiers in World War I to the Iraq War. The third part examines soldiers’ experiences when they return from a war. The different pieces are all short, are written in many different forms (blog, short story, play, interview) and are by many different authors.
Anyone who wants to know more about war, or people’s experiences in war, should read this book. It is geared to young adults who, I think, would benefit the most from the book’s selections, but the book is accessible to anyone.
It is very difficult to find an unbiased view on the subject of war. However, this book did a wonderful job of balancing diverse opinions on matters, especially since the editors of the book held very different personal views on war.
Most of the pieces in the book were very well combined. Overall, they were very interesting, and spoke about many different issues. Mostly the book focused on the Iraq War, which made it very relevant to the current times. I did feel that the letters from the soldier in World War I was out of place. This selection was a collection of personal letters from the editor’s father, and I did not feel it was an appropriate choice. However, I felt all of the other selections were wonderful.
I would definitely recommend this book to any young
adults who wish to understand more about the world around
them.
There is some bad language in the book; however,
the book does NOT have graphic violence.
Rating 9
Content 3
Reviewer Age:15
Reviewer City, State and Country: Urbana, Illinois USA
Ranger's Apprentice - The Sorcerer of the North
In Ranger's Apprentice- Book 5: Sorcerer of the North, a young ranger named Will is given a special task by the Ranger Corp. He and his life-long friend Alyss are sent to the north of the kingdom where they must discover what is behind the mysterious illness of Lord Byron, master of the castle. What they find is a tangled web of deceit, dark magic, and hysteria. Will and Alyss must learn to quickly tell their allies from their enemies as they battle against time. The mission becomes deadly when Alyss is held hostage and Will must decide whether his loyalty lies with his mission or whether he will risk it all to follow his heart. The book is full of surprising twists and turns, and it leaves you wanting the next book. With plenty of fantasy creatures and magical mystery, it fits right into the Ranger's Apprentice series.
John Flanagan is a talented writer and he weaves a suspenseful tale throughout the Ranger's Apprentice series. This book is no exception and from the beginning you get vivid detail and thorough descriptions. This installment in the Ranger’s Apprentice series has a dark tone, much like the past books. The main character in this novel is Will, a young ranger, but he is joined by his good friend and love interest, Alyss. The book is centered around their trials and tribulations, but they often receive help from past characters like Will’s former teacher Halt, and Alyss’ and Will’s good friend Horace. Will is a well known character in the series and his good nature, quick wit, and knack for always saving the day makes him a very lovable character. Alyss is a poised, beautiful, and caring individual and her hidden strength and selflessness makes her a powerful female presence. The book often alternates from different focal points, one chapter focusing on Will, another focusing on the villain, and the next showing Alyss. These changes help to give the reader a view of everything that is going on, so that you get a sense of what all the characters are doing and how one character’s actions will affect the other. In this novel, conflict draws ever closer until you reach the final climax where battle is about to break loose. It is at this point that the book ends and you wind up feeling like the entire novel merely set up the next book. There is no heavy action, no final confrontation, and the ending felt severely lackluster. Everything in the brilliant tale Flanagan has woven thus far simply seems cut off. This book was a tremendous read up until the end. If you wish for a full novel with a beginning, climax, and ending you will be a bit disappointed. Although the plot crumbles at the end, all the way through the writing is vivid, effective, beautiful, and interesting. The book is part of a very action-packed fantasy series and although it holds very little action itself, it does continue to build on Flanagan’s elaborate fictional world. I would have to say that is the weakest Ranger’s Apprentice book so far due to the lack of conclusion, and the fact that on its own it does not stand a very complete book. As mentioned before, this book is best for those who are already avid readers of the Ranger's Apprentice series, as it contains many old characters, but it is not an entirely lost cause for those who have not read the series before. I would recommend having the next book ready to read immediately after finishing this one, so that all of the brilliant reading you have just done does not feel entirely wasted.
Content: 1
Rating: 7
Reviewer Age:13
Reviewer City, State and Country: South Pasadena, California USA
John Flanagan is a talented writer and he weaves a suspenseful tale throughout the Ranger's Apprentice series. This book is no exception and from the beginning you get vivid detail and thorough descriptions. This installment in the Ranger’s Apprentice series has a dark tone, much like the past books. The main character in this novel is Will, a young ranger, but he is joined by his good friend and love interest, Alyss. The book is centered around their trials and tribulations, but they often receive help from past characters like Will’s former teacher Halt, and Alyss’ and Will’s good friend Horace. Will is a well known character in the series and his good nature, quick wit, and knack for always saving the day makes him a very lovable character. Alyss is a poised, beautiful, and caring individual and her hidden strength and selflessness makes her a powerful female presence. The book often alternates from different focal points, one chapter focusing on Will, another focusing on the villain, and the next showing Alyss. These changes help to give the reader a view of everything that is going on, so that you get a sense of what all the characters are doing and how one character’s actions will affect the other. In this novel, conflict draws ever closer until you reach the final climax where battle is about to break loose. It is at this point that the book ends and you wind up feeling like the entire novel merely set up the next book. There is no heavy action, no final confrontation, and the ending felt severely lackluster. Everything in the brilliant tale Flanagan has woven thus far simply seems cut off. This book was a tremendous read up until the end. If you wish for a full novel with a beginning, climax, and ending you will be a bit disappointed. Although the plot crumbles at the end, all the way through the writing is vivid, effective, beautiful, and interesting. The book is part of a very action-packed fantasy series and although it holds very little action itself, it does continue to build on Flanagan’s elaborate fictional world. I would have to say that is the weakest Ranger’s Apprentice book so far due to the lack of conclusion, and the fact that on its own it does not stand a very complete book. As mentioned before, this book is best for those who are already avid readers of the Ranger's Apprentice series, as it contains many old characters, but it is not an entirely lost cause for those who have not read the series before. I would recommend having the next book ready to read immediately after finishing this one, so that all of the brilliant reading you have just done does not feel entirely wasted.
Content: 1
Rating: 7
Reviewer Age:13
Reviewer City, State and Country: South Pasadena, California USA
Encyclopedia of the End: Mysterious Death in Fact, Fancy, Folklore, and More by Deborah Noyes
The Encyclopedia of The End: Mysterious Death in Fact, Fancy, Folklore, and More by Deborah Noyes, deals mainly with different funeral customs around the world. It also deals with the science, theology, and folklore of death. This book alphabetically covers everything from an amulet of good luck for the dead to wreaths for funerals. The book contains pictures and sub-notes. You will find out about the origins of modern Goth culture, where the tradition of the hearse at funerals started, what necromancy is, how a body decays, and more in The Encyclopedia of The End by Deborah Noyes.
I give the Encyclopedia of The End: Mysterious Death in Fact, Fancy, Folklore, and More by Deborah Noyes a ten. It is a great introduction to the topic of death. This is a topic that is not discussed in today's world as much as it was in the past. This Encyclopedia brings death, an essential part of life, to light in a gentle way. If the reader has basic questions about the culture or science of death, this book will answer these questions. Even if a reader is scared of death, nothing in this book will scare them. I enjoyed the part on holidays about death, such as Bon, Day of the Dead, and Halloween. I found the Japanese holiday of Bon especially interesting. Bon is a holiday where the dead family members come back to earth. The Encyclopedia of the End by Deborah Noyes will make you find out more about death, whether by interviewing a funeral home director, reading the works of Edgar Allen Poe, or visiting Nagasaki, Japan during Bon.
Reviewer Age:18
Reviewer City, State and Country: Urbana, Illinois U.S.A.
The Truth about Horses, Friends, and My Life as a Coward
The Truth about Horses, Friends, and My Life as a Coward by Sarah P. Gibson is about Sophie, a girl who has had some interesting experiences with horses -- to say the least. The book is in first person with Sophie as the Narrator. She has been forced into a life with horses because of her mom's love for the animals. Each chapter describes a mishap Sophie has had with one of the horses her family owns. For instance, when she is little her mom buys her and her sister a pony named Really. Sophie never asked for a horse, but her mom is convinced this will make her happy. One of her mishaps occurs when Sophie has a friend over and her mom decides they should go on a cart ride with Really. During the cart ride, Really decides to take over and soon he is running full speed, pulling the cart behind him, with Sophie and her friend hanging on for dear life. This is one of many cases that has caused Sophie's aversion to horses. However, throughout the book Sophie grows fonder of them and learns they are not as frightening or as demonic as she initially thinks. Along the way she makes friends who love her horses, but best of all, love her for who she is.
I read this book in one sitting, cover to cover, because I could not put it down. It is the perfect blend of comedy and drama, chronicling Sophie's life with horses. Sophie is a likeable character that the readers will fall in love with as soon as they read page one. The author does a good job with imagery and all the passages were funny because they seemed like they could happen in real life. I found this book appealing because it takes a different view on life with horses. It is not the typical "girl loves horse" story. I did, however, like that the author ended the book with Sophie's obvious growing compassion for the horses she cares for. This book is good for children of any age who already love horses, or those who are curious about what occurs behind the scenes while taking care of them.
Reviewer Age:16
Reviewer City, State and Country: Westerville, OH United States
I read this book in one sitting, cover to cover, because I could not put it down. It is the perfect blend of comedy and drama, chronicling Sophie's life with horses. Sophie is a likeable character that the readers will fall in love with as soon as they read page one. The author does a good job with imagery and all the passages were funny because they seemed like they could happen in real life. I found this book appealing because it takes a different view on life with horses. It is not the typical "girl loves horse" story. I did, however, like that the author ended the book with Sophie's obvious growing compassion for the horses she cares for. This book is good for children of any age who already love horses, or those who are curious about what occurs behind the scenes while taking care of them.
Reviewer Age:16
Reviewer City, State and Country: Westerville, OH United States
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